Living the 23rd Psalm - Day 10

Prevailer - Thou preparest a table for me in the presence of mine enemies.



I’ve pondered over this one for quite some time. Were I to be set amid those I’d consider my enemies, even with the Lord’s protection, I’m not sure I’d have the stomach to sup. Most of my enemies are of my own making – I’ve pushed some away and avoided others I’d rather not befriend. Somehow, I don’t feel that is how Christ would want me to behave. So has He prepared the table for me to sit in front and ABOVE them, or to sit WITH them, perhaps to make them enemies no more? And then I have to face who the Lord considers my enemies. I’m sure I’d be staring at someone I value or something I treasure. For the Lord says, Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. Matthew 7:14. Yet I am comforted in knowing He delivers me from my enemies. You also lift me up above those who rise against me; You have delivered me from the violent man. 2 Samuel 22:49

Living the 23rd Psalm - Day 9

Pacifier - Thy Rod and Thy Staff, they comfort me


Have you ever thought about a shepherd’s staff? On one end is the rod that can push apart or separate the flock as needed. On the other, a crook to gather in a stray from the fold. No matter what direction I might go on my own, He is there to Push me onto the correct path or Pull me in from a dangerous precipice. When I slip, He lifts me up and dusts me off. Shepherd Your people with Your staff, The flock of Your heritage… Micah 7:14

Living the Lord's Prayer - Day 8

Preserver - I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.

Do we really believe that? With so much hurt and hatred in our physical world, can we really let go of our fears? Does this promise mean bad things can’t happen to me? We all know that is not the case. We all suffer losses – of family, home, job. But the larger question is – ARE WE LOST? With Christ as our Shepherd, we know we can never be lost, never stray too far from His gentle guiding Hand. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

Living the 23rd Psalm - Day 7

Pressure Reliever - For Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

In the Judean Wilderness there is a dry riverbed winding down into the valley to Jericho, called the Wadi Kelt. This might be considered the "Valley of the Shadow of Death" for along its path, it is steep and treacherous. One must choose one’s footing very carefully to keep from tumbling off the path and over the rugged cliff. Can you imagine guiding a flock of sheep along this terrain, ever vigilant for not only your charges but for yourself? For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up,Lest you dash your foot against a stone. Psalm 91:11-12

Living the 23rd Psalm, Day 6

PETITIONER - He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

He doesn’t make us go, He doesn’t push us down His Path – He walks ahead and encourages us to follow Him. His Path is paved with Good and Ethic stones, bordered by Sound Judgment and Genuine Love. It’s a road we don’t have to walk, but by following Him, the Way is made clear and our steps will be sure and firm. I will guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. Proverbs 4:11-12

Living the 23rd Psalm, Day 5

PHYSICIAN - He Restoreth My Soul

How does He do that? For me, my soul is reborn each time I see a field of stars or the nearly full moon tipping over a bed of low clouds. The song of a bird floating by or the chimes jingling in His soft breeze. The majesty of a mountain, the lull of the ocean. He is all around me, all the time. When that does not seem to penetrate my darkness, he places people in front of me, Angels on earth, who by their very nature restore my faith in humankind. My family blesses and nurtures my spirit and my soul just by their very being. Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:22-24

Living the 23rd Psalm, Day 4

PEACE-GIVER - He leadeth me beside the still waters

Oh, that I could be a happy-go-lucky sheep, with no worries because my Gentle Shepherd perceives my every need. I need rest, He gives me a pasture; I need water, He leads me to a place where I might sip without being carried off by a rushing current. What did I ever do to deserve such care and concern? What can I do to ever repay this service? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his God. (Isaiah 50:10)

Spring Upon Us

Believe me, I'm still LIVING the 23rd Psalm. I think I laid down in green pastures and took a little nap! I have been craving a sip of still water, though, so more to come soon with that.

How GLORIOUS spring is!!! Whether it snows or the birds sing their little hearts out, spring in Colorado is a true awakening of the spirit! A quiet, peaceful Easter Sunday spent with family just rounds it all out. He is Risen! Hallelujah!

Living the 23rd Psalm, Day 3

PAMPERER - He maketh me to lie down in green pastures

Considering we have free will, making me lie down anywhere never really fit the mold. When I consider, though, that He created lovely green pastures where I might respite, I revel in the Pampering Spirit of God. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

Living the 23rd Psalm - Day 2

PROVIDER - I shall not want
Or, as I like to put it, "I shall want for nothing". Not only does the Lord protect, but He provides as well. Where we misunderstand, however, is in our perception of "want". I "want" to win the lottery (if God played, He’d win every time…); I "want" to be fifty pounds lighter (got there, couldn’t handle it, gained it back); I even "want", like the beauty contestants, World Peace! (Now there’s one we ALL ask God for.) But let’s consider the passage in a different perspective. In Matthew 6:25-34 Jesus teaches that if God provides for the lowly birds of the air or the lilies of the field, does He not care even more for us? We are to trust in Him for His provision, and in His Glory and Wisdom, He will sustain us.

On Holiday in Mexico

The first week of February, we journeyed with Doug's sister and brother-in-law (Jude and Den) to Puerto Vallarta, for a mid-winter toasting in the sun. It was a little rainy when we arrived, but by sunset had cleared up a little. Day 2 was glorious, basking in the sun, enjoying the food and drink from our all-inclusive resort (Riu Vallarta). Doug and Judy played in the waves, making sacrifices of their glasses to King Triton. Thankfully, Doug had brought an old pair, and Judy found a vendor selling sunglasses (probably ones that had washed up on the shore!)

Day 3 we went to the city, but the pouring rain made for poor sightseeing and shopping. Unseasonable weather, to be sure. That afternoon Doug and I had a massage and scheduled hot tub time with Judy and Denny.

There were fun evening performances, and that evening we headed up to the room around 9:30 or 10:00. Doug and I sat on our 4th floor balcony enjoying our last glass of wine when a breeze suddenly came up from the south. Before we knew it, the breeze had become wind, so we tucked our chairs into a cubby at the side of the balcony. I went into the room as Doug took the small table to the side. When WOOSH! Gale-force winds and rain suddenly came down upon us, stranding Doug on the side of the balcony. He could not manage the 4 feet back to the door, for the winds would blow him back along the railing. I held the door open and pulled the curtains in close, so they didn't whip off in the wind, yelling to him to be sure he was still there. For 20 minutes or so this continued, and during that time, Jude and Den were pounding on our door thinking we should all evacuate. I didn't hear them until finally, Doug was able to crawl into the room and we got the balcony door shut. They came in and Jude sent Doug to the shower to warm up and chill out, while Den and I tried to sop up the 2 inches of water that had accummulated in the area near the balcony door. It was a terrifying experience, but thanks be to God, no one was hurt. As we went out into the hallways, there were others who had been caught in the storm as well, and everyone was walking around somewhat in shock. How quickly a disaster such as this (and Haiti and the tsunami in Thailand and Katrina...) can change your world.

In wrapping up our time, we did go whale watching on Day 4, and although it was a bit chill and misty, the viewing was excellent and we all had a great time. (Even Denny, who very quietly and politely threw up in a plastic bag most of the 4 hours.) We were to leave at noon on Day 5, but that morning had some sunshine, so we made our way to the beach to soak up the rays and enjoy the last of the ocean waves. Nice flight there, nice flight back. All in all, a good time with good people. Maybe it should have been called Xtreme Vacation. (Oh, and BTW-Den found Doug's eyeglasses, missing one lens, a couple of days later. They had washed back up, we guess, and someone had set them aside.)

Living the 23rd Psalm - Day 1

(Today begins a series I've been contemplating for some time. Check back as it grows.)

PROTECTOR - The Lord is My Shepherd

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved (Acts 16:31). That’s it in one sentence. You could close the Bible now and experience the Fullness of God’s Love and the Eternal Life of the Saints. But that would be like getting a ticket to a fabulous Broadway play and then falling asleep through the entire performance. God, in Christ, is so much more than our Savior. He is our Shepherd, our Protector over all that might befall us in our lifetime. The Bible, both Old and New Testaments (in any version you choose) open up the Character of God, and in doing so enlighten us to our own characters. It’s historical, lyrical and uplifting. Whether you take on the challenge of reading it cover to cover or allow it to open to a passage each day, get to know your Bible. Write in it, earmark it. It is yours to do as you choose. For those who prefer the ease of an online version, I highly recommend BibleGateway. (http://www.biblegateway.com) You can choose certain books, passages or even use one of the reading plans. By offering several different versions of text, you can even toggle from one to another to gain a broader understanding. Check out my link to the BibleGateway blog.

Making Time for Time

The concept of "Time" just may be quoted, lamented and sung about more than any other than "Love". Time Changes Everything. All good things come in Time. Does Anyone Really Know What Time It Is. See? It's a very important faction of our lives. We never have enough Time. Yet we find ourselves wishing it away, second by second. "I'll be glad when Friday's here" (it's here now - any better?) "If I could just get through this day!" (By God's Grace, there'll be another right after it.)

One phrase I used all through my youth was "I hope how soon...". "I hope how soon my birthday comes"; "I hope how soon morning comes"; "I hope how soon I grow up and get to make my own decisions". A colloquialism, I'm sure. Someone told me once that the phrase made absolutely no sense at all, that the words were in the wrong order. That made me feel badly at the time, but in hindsight, it was indicitive of her personality in general, not in my odd choice of words. Nonetheless, I was wishing away Time from an early age.

We need to hold onto Time when we can, savoring every delightful moment and learning from each sorrowful one. As much as we have control, we should not allow hurt or anger or even lethargy for that matter, to steal away these precious moments of our lives. Rejoice in what Time has brought you in a day rather than the elements that caused it to slip away.

(Now go back and replace the word Time with God....Time is a Gift He's Given - don't wish it away!)

Is the New Year Still New?

This year has flown already, and we are already at the 12th of the month - almost halfway through. My hope is that you have developed your New Year's plan and are well on your way to accomplishing it. Me - I don't know. I've been traveling all month, so I'm checking off the days by the Frontier flights I've survived. I already knew that Republic didn't have the same flight ethics as Frontier. But flying to Milwaukee, I realized that Midwest had taken over Frontier as well - and I'm not happy about that at all!!!! Someone told me that Midwest gives you fresh baked cookies. Didn't happen. And the Midwest E190 plane didn't even have a tv, which was a perk for Classic flyers.

My New Year's Plan - some I can't say. Suffice it to say that if I won the lottery, my family's world would be forever changed. Change is called for, though, even when we don't have a million dollar boost behind us. My sons are both talking of leaving Denver in 2010. I'm cool with that, although there are times I will miss them greatly. Worrying doesn't stop when they leave the state...

No worries, though. We are connected via email and our cells. Communication is really not a problem if people want to do so. Phil and Rob - just don't txt saying you need money..... :)